Interchangeable portable light.



Patented June 22 J. ACHBERGERA INTERCHANGEABLE PORTABLE LIGHT.

*APPUCATION FILED JAN-I8-19l5.

"HE NnRRls PETERS 60., PHOTOYLITHOM WASHINGTON, 0, b1

Joann ACHBEZR-GER, or MIDDLETOWN, orIIo.

rurnncnnnenannn ronrnnrn LIGHT.

niaaeea.

Application filed January 18, 1915. Serial No. 2,850.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, Joann Acnnnnsnn, a subject of the Emperor of Austria-Hungary residing at Middletown, in the county 0 Butler and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interchangeable Portable Lights, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in interchangeable portable lights. p

The primary object of this invention 1s to provide a lantern form of carrier having a bottom for supporting either a lamp or can die, the said bottom being automatically open allowing access to the light giving member upon releasing the retaining means.

The further object of the invention is to provide a lantern with a shiftable lamp support having leg members for the lantern secured thereto and adapted to be projected whenever desired to lower the support for gaining access to the lamp.

A still further object is to provide a shiftable lantern bottom with a resilient bracket adapted to engage a lamp and being equally serviceable for resiliently retaining a candle therein while a means is providedfor ejecting the candle therefrom or looking the bracket in engagement with the lamp at wlll.

lVith these general objects in view and others that will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings forming a part of this application and in which. like designating characters refer to corresponding parts throughout the'several views :-Figure 1 is a front elevation of the device: Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional View taken upon line TI-H of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. f is a detail view partly in section through one of the corner members of the frame and showing the lamp mounting means. Fig. 5 is a view partially in section showing the manner of retaining the candle upon the supporting bracket, and Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the supporting bracket detached.

The present invention relating more particularly to the retaining means for the light giving element as well as a means for readily gaining access thereto, the invention is now illustrated in connection with a lantern form of portable device which consists of a boxlike casing 10 having corner posts 11 and intervening glass sides 12, the forward one 13 of which has a sliding engagement with its supporting posts and is provided at its top with handle 14 by means of which said side may be slidably elevated for opening the lantern casing and gaining access to the interior thereof.

A. shiftable section 15 rectangular in form is designed as a support for the light giving element and is positioned centrally of the casing bottom 16. Two of the diagonally opposite posts 11 are each provided with a central bore 17 having a leg 18 for the lantern slidably mounted therein and nor mally retaining an expansion spring 19 under tension seated within the said bore and against the inner end wall thereof.

The leg 18 is in the form of a rod and slidably projects through a perforation 20 in the casing bottom 16 and has a bracket 21 secured thereto, which bracket is attached as at 22 to the bottom of the shiftable sup port 15. Each of the legs 18 is provided with a reduced portion or shoulder as at 23 adapted for engagement by a swinging latch 24 pivoted to the casing bottom 16 as at By this arrangement of elements it will be seen that when the latches 24 are released from the legs 18, the expansion springs 19 will project the legs, thus lowering the support 15 and allowing access to the light giving element mounted thereon, the downward and outward movement of the legs being limited by a disk head 26 with which each of the legs is provided at its inner end. The support 15 being so lowered, the same may be readily replaced against the action of l the springs 19 and when completely closed, the latches 24: are brought into engagement with the shoulder 23,- thereby locking the support in its closed position.

A securing means for the light giving element consists of the bracket 32 ofthe form best illustrated in Fig. 6, which bracket is centrally mounted within the casing upon the support 15 being secured thereto by hold-fast devices projected through the base flange 27 of the bracket. The bracket has an inwardly projecting slightly tapered tubular portion 28 provided with longitudinal slots 29 which render the intervening portions slightly resilient and this tubular portion of the bracket is adapted to be received ing them against the side walls of'the lamp socket 30 and whereby the lamp is retained upon the support. By reversing the movement of the screw, the disk headthereof will be lowered and the bracket thus released from the lamp which maybe readily removed when the support is lowered to its open position.

When it is desired to employ a candle such as 37 in the place of the lamp member, the candle may be forced into the bracket 32 through the open inner end thereof and engaged with the pins 38 at the top edges of the bracket portions, as best illustrated in Fig; 5, and at which time the candle will be seated upon the inner face of the screw head. .When so positioned, whenever it is desired1 to remove the candle from the bracket, the screw 33 may be moved in- .wardly allowing the screw head to act as a pusher or ejectorfor forcing the candle out of the inner open end of the bracket. lVhile either two or more of the corner posts 11 may be provided with the spring pressed legs 18', only two thereof are herein illustratedas being so provided while feet members 39 :are provided beneath the remaining corners of the casing'bottom 16 as best illustrated in Fig. 3. .It will be noted that the lantern casing is provided with a ventilating or outlet flueetO at the top thereof and also has a swinging handle or bail ell secured to the casing top.

' While the form of the invention herein shown and described is what is believed to be the preferable embodiment thereof, it is nevertheless to be understood that minor changes may be made in the form, proportion and details of construction without departing'from the spirit and scope of the invention'as set forth in the appended claims.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for What I claim as new is 1. A device of the class described comprising in combination with a lantern casing having corner posts provided with central longitudinal bores and with a central movable bottom support portion, spring-pressed legs mounted in said bores and projecting eXteriorly of the bottom, brackets carried by said legs and attached to the outer surface of said bottom portion, expansion springs engaging the said legs within said bores and leg engaging latches swingingly mounted upon the said bottom.

2. A lantern comprising a box shape casing having a' corner post provided with a central longitudinal bore, a bottom upon said casing having a perforation in alinement with the said bore and having a central opening, a shiftable bottom support normally positioned within the said opening, a leg rod slidably mounted within the said bore and through the said perforation and having its inner headed end seated against the outer end of a spring, a bracket secured to said leg beneath said bottom and attached to the lower face of the said support, the said leg being provided with a shoulder adjacent its point of attachmentwith said bracket and a swinging latch carried by said bottom adjacent the said leg receiving perforation thereof.

3. A lantern comprising a casing having a threaded bushing extending through the bottom thereof, an open ended tapered tubular bracket secured to the inner side of said bottom circumferentially of the said bushing and having longitudinal side slots therein forming intervening lamp engaging side portions, inwardly projecting candle engaging pins at the upper edges of said side portions, a screw movably threaded within said bushing, a disk having a slightly tapered peripheral surface mounted upon the inner end of the said screw engagingly positioned within the said bracket and an exteriorly arranged hand engaging turn member upon the said screw.

In testimony whereof I al'lix in presence of two witnesses.

Joznr ACHBERGER.

my signature Witnesses HUGH KING, GEORGE HERDMAN.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

